Maharashtra’s opposition parties have come down heavily on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after violence broke out in Nagpur on Monday.
Speaking to the media in Mumbai on Tuesday, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut questioned the outbreak of violence in Nagpur, which happens to be the headquarters of the RSS and is also the constituency of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is the Home Minister of Maharashtra.
“Who would have the guts to spread any violence there? This seems to be a new pattern to scare Hindus. Make their own people attack them and then incite and involve them in riots,” Raut alleged.
Shiv Sena’s Marathi language daily newspaper ‘Saamna’ criticised BJP leaders for their calls to destroy Aurangzeb’s grave, labelling them as “enemies of the brave tradition of Marathas.”
“Some neo-Hindutvawadis are loudly saying they will destroy Aurangzeb’s grave in the manner in which Babri Masjid was demolished. They just want to spread hatred in Maharashtra. Marathas fought Aurangzeb for 25 years, and finally, Aurangzeb, who attacked their self-esteem, was buried in Maharashtra’s soil. They want to erase that entire history,” the ‘Saamna’ article stated.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray dismissed the agitation as “a mere gimmick to distract people from real issues.”
Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray attacked the Fadnavis government and claimed that the BJP is trying to push Maharashtra into a Manipur-like situation. He also questioned the Fadnavis-led government’s handling of the Nagpur violence and pointed at the Chief Minister’s Office’s (CMO) lack of response.
“Why did the CMO not react when rumours of violence were spreading in Nagpur? Whenever such an incident is about to take place, the first report comes to the Chief Minister of the state and the Home Department. Did they not have any information regarding this? I think the BJP wants to turn Maharashtra into the next Manipur,” Aaditya Thackeray said.
Aaditya Thackeray said that the BJP is “shameless” about the violence in Nagpur because the incident took place in the hometown of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Sadly, when the BJP cannot govern, it resorts to violence, riots, and this is its set formula in every state. If you look at Manipur, that is exactly what it wants to convert Maharashtra into. The BJP is trying to dig up the history of someone who lived 300 to 400 years ago, but it cannot speak about the present and the future. The irony is that the central government protects the grave,” Aaditya Thackeray said.
Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised the Fadnavis government and alleged that Maharashtra is being deliberately destabilised to discourage investments so that this could indirectly benefit the neighbouring state (Gujarat).
Meanwhile, Congress leader Nana Patole said that if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called the Nagpur violence a “pre-planned conspiracy”, then it is clear that this is a “failure of the government and the police”.
“He (Fadnavis) himself is from Nagpur. If this incident is happening there, then it is the failure of the government. They don’t believe in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Their only aim is to destroy Maharashtra. The government was involved in the incident in Nagpur,” Patole alleged.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar criticised the Fadnavis-led government for the violence which broke out in Nagpur on Monday night. Wadettiwar claimed that the Nagpur violence was a “government-sponsored incident”. He also called for a ban on BJP leader T Raja Singh’s movement in the state, accusing him of “inciting violence”. Wadettiwar accused the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti government of promoting people like Raja Singh.
In a related development, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange alleged that the Nagpur violence was “sponsored” by the Maharashtra government and blamed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for it.
“This riot has been sponsored by the government and Devendra Fadnavis. If they want to remove Aurangzeb’s grave, they are in power at the Centre and in the state. If the Congress made a mistake of protecting the structure earlier, now the rulers have a chance to correct it. This (violence) is just being done to make poor people fight among themselves. People must remain alert,” Patil said.
Congress MP Praniti Shinde said that the Aurangzeb tomb issue, which is 300 years old, is a “diversionary tactic” to divert attention from the failures of the Fadnavis government.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Home Minister, is a big failure, and to hide it, these things are being done. Continuous efforts are being made to instigate riots in Maharashtra and the nation, but the people of Maharashtra do not listen to the BJP. They want to harm the social harmony of Maharashtra,” Shinde said.